MANAGEMENT PLANS — THE NATIONAL FORESTS 59 



(c) Studies along the following lines are under way or contemplated: 



(1) Determination of increment in cut-over stands, all types. 



(2) Determination of increment in young stands, all types. 



(3) Determination of commercial maturity of important species. 



(4) Data for stand and volume tables. 



(5) Rate of natural reproduction in cut-over and virgin stands. 



(6) Effects of grazing on reproduction and plantations. 



(7) Thinnings in young natural stands. 



(8) Thinnings in plantations. 



7. REGULATION 



(A) ROTATION AND CUTTING CYCLES 



The rotation is set at 160 years, since at this age the stand will, according 

 to present knowledge, produce the most satisfactory amount of saw timber and 

 a considerable quantity of railroad ties and mine props. A longer rotation 

 would involve holding trees beyond maturity. 



Four cutting cycles of 40 years each are adopted, since it is assumed that 

 cuts can be made profitably at the end of each 40 years. The data upon which 

 these cycles are based are meager and will be checked by the studies 

 contemplated. 



(B) ALLOWABLE CUT 



The tentative cut is based on the following premises : The total volume avail- 

 able now for cutting is 52,438,000 board feet, largely in mature and overmature 

 stands which have no net increment. This amount will be cut during the first 

 cycle of 40 years. The allowable annual cut indicated during the first cycle 

 is 1,311,000 board feet. Approximately 1,000,000 of this annual cut will come 

 from mature and overmature stands and 300,000 board feet as salvage from 

 stands of the other three age classes. The recommended lirhitation of cut for 

 the decade 1926-1935 is therefore 13,110,000 board feet or its equivalent in all 

 forms of material. 



This average annual cut of 1,311,000 board feet is a conservative figure, since 

 it merely prorates the present estimated volume of old timber, less the volume 

 reserved in marking, over the first cutting cycle without allowance for additions 

 to that volume through the growth to maturity of trees in stands previously 

 cut over. Revisions of this plan later in the present cutting cycle will contain 

 better data and will almost certainly increase the allowable cut on the basis of 

 more accurate and higher estimates. Furthermore, no allowance has been 

 made for the volume of any material which it may prove feasible to cut in 

 thinning immature stands, nor for volume which would now be wasted in 

 cutting but which could be saved under better utilization, following improvement 

 in markets. 



(C) SELECTION OF CUTTING AEEAS 



The areas for cutting during the first budget period have been selected upon 

 the basis of accessibility of the timber and its maturity. In general, it will be 

 the plan to begin cutting in the south and east portions of the circle and 

 progress northerly and westerly in counter-clockwise fashion, in so far as this 

 is economically feasible, during the remainder of the first cutting cycle. All 

 sales business will follow this general plan. In the larger bodies advertised 

 sales will be made first, followed by small commercial sales, sales at cost, and 

 free use, cleaning up isolated clumps, the aim being to put each unit into the 

 best possible condition. After this standard has been attained, such areas 

 will not ordinarily be cut again for 40 years. 



8. TIMBER-SALE POLICY 



(A) COOEDINATING MARKETS AND MILLING OPERATIONS 



The first step in management is to stabilize the present markets and the 

 operations supplying them. This is to be accomplished by : 



(1) Encouraging better working relations between producers and consumers. 



(2) Encouraging installation of new and modern portable sawmill machinery in 



order that well-manufactured lumber may be produced. 



(3) Cooperation with operators in extending their markets. 



The second step is to establish new markets. The opportunities for this 

 are covered under markets. 



